Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Charleroi

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleroi: $2,041 a month against $2,202 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Charleroi
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Charleroi Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Charleroi

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,041

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Charleroi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antwerp and in Charleroi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Antwerp versus $2,041 in Charleroi.

Antwerp $2,202
Charleroi $2,041

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,326 in Antwerp versus $2,937 in Charleroi.

Antwerp $3,326
Charleroi $2,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Antwerp versus $3,833 in Charleroi.

Antwerp $4,449
Charleroi $3,833

Living in Antwerp is roughly 8% more expensive than in Charleroi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Charleroi 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.81 €21.39

$21.95 €19.72

8.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.9

$82.4 €74.0

16.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 €11.85

$13.56 €12.18

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.84

$3.01 €2.70

41.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.19

$2.20 €1.98

61.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.12

$2.17 €1.95

60.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €5.00

$3.31 €2.97

68.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.63

$4.11 €3.69

52.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$1.18 €1.06

17.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.49

$2.45 €2.20

13.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.99

$2.22 €2.00

-0.45%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.57

$4.00 €3.59

-0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.68

$16.52 €14.84

-1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.61

$12.01 €10.79

-1.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 €20.17

$22.11 €19.86

1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.67

$2.62 €2.35

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.16

$2.25 €2.03

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.67 €2.40

-3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.07

$3.41 €3.06

0.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.07 €1.86

27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.14 €1.03

55.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.36 €1.22

13.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$0.68 €0.61

69.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 €11.71

$12.74 €11.45

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 €7.98

$8.75 €7.86

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.74 €1.56

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.99 €1.79

4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.02

$2.93 €2.64

14.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 €49.73

$41.93 €37.67

32.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.15

$5.56 €4.99

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.45

$2.60 €2.34

4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.85 €39.39

$44.93 €40.36

-2.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.82 €1.64

12.64%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K €31.8K

$29.7K €26.7K

19.42%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.3K €33.5K

$32.3K €29.0K

15.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$208 €186

$208 €187

-0.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.06 €19.82

$21.83 €19.61

1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.17 €42.38

$46.70 €41.95

1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.77

$31.51 €28.30

19.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €23.75

$28.27 €25.39

-6.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.83

$15.79 €14.19

-2.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,616 €1,452

$1,619 €1,455

-0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K €29.9K

$16.5K €14.8K

102.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €103

-0.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €47.50

$53.0 €47.60

-0.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.2

$90.6 €81.4

15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €159

$90.5 €81.3

95.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €953

$799 €718

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €769

$834 €749

2.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,441

$1,043 €937

53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,183

$1,052 €945

25.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,889

$2,886 €2,593

49.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,965 €2,664

$2,941 €2,642

0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 €2,705

$2,251 €2,022

33.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Last update for Charleroi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$856 38.9%

Charleroi

$834 40.9% 2.6% $22

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.4%

Charleroi

$344 16.8% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Antwerp

$350 15.9%

Charleroi

$295 14.4% 15.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$277 12.6%

Charleroi

$277 13.6% 0% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$202 9.2%

Charleroi

$157 7.7% 22.3% $45

Getting Around

Antwerp

$88 4%

Charleroi

$72 3.5% 18.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.1%

Charleroi

$63 3.1% 7.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Antwerp and $799 in Charleroi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $82 in Charleroi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $344 per month, with Charleroi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Charleroi

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

202,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Antwerp vs Charleroi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,202 in Antwerp and $2,041 in Charleroi, so Charleroi is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Antwerp, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,061 in Antwerp versus $799 in Charleroi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Charleroi runs roughly 24% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,616 in Antwerp versus $1,619 in Charleroi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Charleroi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Charleroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.